Jaclyn McCosker

Feb 8 A Vegan and Eco-Friendly Valentine's Day

My preferred gifts? Plan a trip away! Schedule a day of your favourite activities together! Offer to cook your favourite meal! We already know I love experiences over gifts, and try to avoid unnecessary or obligatory consumerism. Yet, we all still need to buy things constantly. I'd be completely lying to you all if I pretended I never bought physical gifts.

The following list is composed of eco-friendly and vegan alternatives to the standard products we gift to our lovers on Valentine's Day. Your perfumes, your naughty underwear, and your chocolates are all included. If you're looking to buy something nice for someone you love, I hope there's a suggestion on this list that sounds just right for that person. Something they will genuinely love and get use out of, without the cliché teddy bears or glitter covered gift cards that are sent straight to landfill.

And if the thing you're chasing isn't offered in your area, I hope you have the chance to hit the express shipping option and get that item to you in plenty of time!

Below are some gendered suggestions for him, some for her, and some gender neutral for anybody and everybody.

Him

Preserve Shave 5 RazorI like this as a gift because it's practical (saving your giftee money) but it's a thoughtful product with a great story. These razors are made from recycled yoghurt containers, repurposing something already destined for landfill and giving it a second life in the form of a household product many people use daily. Pair the razor with a plastic-free shaving bar for an all-round eco and vegan shave.

Vanessa Megan cologneA really great company, Vanessa Megan makes Australian, organic certified, cruelty-free certified beauty products so this "driftwood" cologne for men would make a really beautiful Valentine's Day gift for those that love the typical, romantic gifts!

Vegan leather belt or walletA nice vegan leather belt or wallet is usually a higher-end item, and something less easy to find. So one makes a great gift for the eco-minded or animal-friendly man in your life. I've linked Will's Vegan Shoes & Accessories Co. as a PETA-approved vegan brand, handmade under ethical conditions. If you're unable to order from Ecoture right now you can find similar vegan belts at your local Cruelty Free Shop or stores like VeganStyle. (Will's Vegan leather wallet here.)

Woodwear Sunglasses wood watchWoodwear Sunglasses are a sustainable and vegan accessories brand that make bamboo sunglasses and watches. I absolutely adore a wooden watch, and think these make a perfect gift for a style-conscious man in your life.

Her

NAJA Cheeky KnickersAn ethical and sustainable underwear brand, NAJA have a cute range of "cheeky knickers" that would make a great V-Day gift. A social impact brand with products handmade by marginalised women in Colombia, and seek to lower their environmental impact wherever they can.

Vanessa Megan perfume essential blend To keep things equal, I've included the Vanessa Megan essential oil blend designed with "her" in mind. Such a beautiful company, and this mini-sized perfume is a great little token gift to give your girl with a bouquet of flowers.

Urban Originals vegan leather handbagMost women complain about the fact they don't have the perfect bag that's the right size, right? We need that bag in the sweet spot of being small enough to stay out of the way, but large enough to fit in some zero waste essentials like reusable cutlery and our menstrual cup. And it should also be attractive, well-priced and free from animal cruelty. Urban Originals are an affordable, PETA-approved vegan leather handbag brand. That are currently on a huge sale on Flora & Fauna through the link provided!

Everybody

Bunnings plantsBunnings is accessible in almost every town, and it stocks a wide range of succulents, ferns and flowers. Who wouldn't love an indoors plant as a gift? It fits the bill for Valentine's Day along the tradition of gifting flowers, but it's something slightly more sustainable with the intent of keeping and fostering the gift for a long time, and for potentially years to come your loved one gets to keep this memento from you and think about you every time they water it.

Essential oil diffuserNow we have an essential oil diffuser, I'm happy to recommend them to everyone. Perfect for your main living area or by your bed for setting the mood and creating a relaxing environment or with a change of oil, setting any kind of mood you want. The exact oils I ordered for my boyfriend are this Eco Essential Oil Trio.

Pana Chocolate Valentine's Day gift packVegan, organic certified, handmade raw chocolate. It does not get more decadent. You can order it online from a store like Flora & Fauna, otherwise find your local stockist on panachocolate.com. If you're in Melbourne you can even get your order delivered on UberEATS. If you're elsewhere, your local health food store or Coles stock individual bars but not the gift packs.

Reusable produce bagsI know I know, not the most romantic thing. But to me, investing in zero waste products on behalf of someone that loves the environment but may not feel they have the budget right now, is an amazing, thoughtful gift for the kind of person reading this post. And this Biome set of 5 is a great deal, and they look cute too.

Soul Organics Body OilThis body oil is included in this gift list for... obvious reasons. From the website: "A specially formulated body oil to promote self love and in turn, bring more external love into our lives." Vegan, organic and made in Australia.

Specialty Gift CardsAt your local Woolies or Big W you can pick up a wide variety of gift cards that suit basically anybody. I've told my boyfriend he can feel free to get me a Country Road or Sportsgirl voucher from Woolworths and I'll be stoked with the gift. If you're looking to cut down on waste or unnecessary consumerism and let your loved one buy something they genuinely will use, brands I'd support that are generally found in Woolworths include JB Hifi, Dymocks, Country Road and Witchery.

Swag produce bags starter packAgain, with the zero waste supplies for the person you love that in turn loves the environment. I'd be extremely happy with a gift like this! The Swag storage bags are designed to allow fresh produce to breathe and stay hydrated without wilting too quickly, extending the life of your produce to simultaneously avoid plastic and food waste.